Trade
4 years ago

53pc industrial units did not pay wages for July

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53 per cent of the industrial units including those of readymade garment (RMG) did not pay their workers wages for the month of July till Thursday despite the government’s instruction to pay monthly wages. 

Besides, 22 per cent or 1,706 factories did not pay festival allowance until Thursday, the last working day before three days Eid holiday starts from Friday, according to Industrial Police data.  

A total of 7,602 units are under the jurisdiction of Industrial Police, except Dhaka metropolitan area, in six zones--Ashulia, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Chattogram, Mymensingh and Khulna--are yet to pay July wages.

Out the total, some 1,882 factories are members of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), 1,101 listed with Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), 389 with Bangladesh Textile Mills Association and 364 are under Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA).

The rest 3,866 units belong to non-RMG sectors.

Out of total 7,602 units, about 4,027 factories did not abide by the government’s instruction of paying July wages, according to the Industrial Police data.

BGMEA, however, claimed that 96 per cent and 94 per cent of its member units out 1,898 units paid festival allowance and July wages until Thursday.

Earlier on July 15, the government in a meeting with leaders of Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) set July 25 deadline for payment of festival allowance and wages for July.

Later on July 20, the government at the 65th Tripartite Consultative Committee (TCC) meeting having representation from both labour leaders and factory owners changed the deadline to July 27 for garment workers.

The meeting, however, kept the July 25 deadline for other industrial sectors.

The government has disbursed a total of Tk 75 billion to pay wages to the workers of export-oriented industries, mostly RMG, for three months from April last.

Recently, the government has announced another fund of Tk 30 billion as soft loan for export-oriented industries, mainly garments, to pay wages to their workers for the month of July.

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